Month: April 2017

The internet has transformed marketing, but you should still be skeptical about miracles. There is no guarantee of overnight success. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s a look at the nine biggest lies and half-truths the best marketing companies will not promise you. 1. “We’ll guarantee to get you on the first page of Google.” This is the most ridiculous claim to hear from marketers, and yet companies continue to make it almost routinely. Nobody can guarantee #1 placement on Google because that placement is in the hands of the biggest search engine...

Tips and Strategies to Keep Weekend Warriors in Prime Condition Are you a weekend warrior? According to Mark E. Kasmer, M.D., Sports Medicine Specialist at Carilion Clinic, weekend warriors are “athletes who train minimally during the week and then engage in vigorous athletic activity on the weekend.” Although being a weekend warrior allows you to focus on your job and family life during the week and still get the benefits of a vigorous workout on the weekends, these individuals are at a greater risk for bot overuse and acute injuries. “Most injuries specific to the weekend warrior are the...

Taking stock of where the real estate market has been and where it’s headed… In meeting with seller clients, I find it helpful to start any conversation about the value of their property within a framework of “where the market is today.” I pull certain statistics, and we discuss both the macro level (our entire market) as well as the micro (usually their zip code). It’s helpful for me to keep tabs on various market segments, and I think sellers find it instructive to know what to expect going forward. When asked how the market is, it’s easy to...

Some of the region’s most ambitious corporate construction projects have been entrusted to Glass & Associates, Inc., with its many clients including Billy Craft Automotive Group, Liberty University, Centra, Terry Volkswagen Subaru and more. The company was selected to manage the construction of Centra’s Amherst Medical Center, as well as Liberty’s LaHaye Ice Center renovation and expansion and the new Indoor Track Complex beneath the LU Monogram. The complex is one of only a handful in the entire nation with a hydraulically banked track system. Next door, Glass & Associates is getting started on the construction of Liberty’s new...

Yes! Importance of a Contract The importance of having a well-drafted contract on large, complex commercial construction projects is obvious. But a solid contract is just as important for small home construction projects such as a kitchen remodel, bathroom renovation or construction of a small addition. Embarking on a seemingly simple home improvement project without entering into a formal agreement can be a costly mistake because many of the same issues that arise in large commercial projects occur in smaller home projects. Well-drafted contractual agreements define the scope of the work, memorialize the parties’ obligations, and allocate risks, which...

Invest in complete care for employees Wellness in the workplace is a symbiotic effort between both the institution and employee. The workplace can provide a conductive culture in which both institutional and personal wellness is promoted. Personal wellness, in part, is a state in which the employee enjoys contributing to the advancement of the institution’s purposeful mission and fostering a positive work culture; the institution must establish the culture in which wellness can occur. It is well understood that the institution’s ultimate purpose is to accomplish its mission and achieve its vision. A clear and compelling mission statement must...

If you want to see an appraiser’s face light up, tell them some real estate news they haven’t heard yet. Appraisers love to know what’s going on in the markets they serve. One of the ways we maintain market awareness is by diligently reading the news and sifting through this relentless firehouse of information to find what is relevant and useful. What follows is simply one appraiser’s thought process for doing so. Read Purposefully Reading purposefully involves intentionally choosing what content you’re going to consume on a daily basis. Our time is our most valuable resource, so we should...

Of all the questions I’m asked as a financial planner, the top two are usually some variation of: 1 – When can I retire? 2 – Will I have enough money to retire? Usually, these questions are being asked by those whose retirement date should be just around the corner. I’m always excited, though, when those whose retirement date is further out ask the same questions because they have that much more time to make their dreams become a reality. Breaking down the answer to these questions is a large part of what any good financial advisor should help...

Raymond Doot—Intern at Lynchburg Wealth Management. Ray is a senior at Liberty University studying financial planning. His goal is to pursue a career in the financial services industry and obtain the CFP® designation. Paige Crouch–Adoption Caseworker at Family Life Services Adoption Agency. Paige is a graduate of Longwood University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She joins the FLS team after spending four years working in the public and private sector where she helped children in the foster care system find permanent families. Joel Eggleston—Physical Therapist at Rehabilitation Associates of Central Virginia in Forest. Dr. Eggleston earned his B.A. in Biology from Houghton College, NY and received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the State University of Buffalo. He is a Certified Manual Trigger Point Therapist. Prior to settling in Virginia, Dr. Eggleston traveled as a therapist working in multiple states including Alaska, Colorado and California. Mary Goding—Director of Sales and Marketing at Generation Solutions. Before joining the Generation Solutions team in December 2016, Mary was an Account Executive at Gentiva Home Health. Prior to that, she was the Director of Social Services at Avante Group. Mary graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Psychology. Stephanie Johnson—Physical Therapist Assistant at Rehabilitation Associates of Central Virginia in Amherst. Stephanie earned a degree in Exercise Science from the College of Charleston and later graduated from the...

What to Expect Your favorite comfort foods in a casual atmosphere (with a modern twist) The Experience Located in the heart of Forest on Route 221, Trio Brick Oven Eatery is one of the newer restaurants to join the up-and-coming area. And since it opened in May 2015, the place has stayed busy from lunchtime through Happy Hour and beyond. While on the outside, you may dismiss Trio for being “just another business” in a strip mall, once inside, you will be truly impressed. From the hardwood floors to the modern décor, you will feel like you are in...

According to a 2016 report from the Society for Human Resource Management, 88 percent of U.S. employees said they were satisfied with their job overall in 2015—the highest level of satisfaction over the last 10 years. Why is this so important? Because our careers are a huge part of who we are—both individually and as a society. We spend more time at our jobs during the week… than with our families or friends. And while our jobs should not define us, they can enhance our lives if they are good—and take away from our lives if they are not....

NEWS SPOTLIGHT Lynchburg Ranks 8th on National Community Well-Being List In just two years, Lynchburg jumped 29 spots on the State of American Well-Being: 2016 Community Well-Being Rankings report. The Hill City placed 8th in the 2016 rankings; in 2014, Lynchburg was 37th on the list. The report, released by Gallup and Healthways, measures how residents of 189 U.S. cities feel about their physical health, social ties, financial security, community and sense of purpose. The same report in 2010 named Lynchburg as the 8th most obese metropolitan area in the U.S. Since then, there has been a community-wide effort...

Title: Owner, Lloyd Concrete Services Hometown: Bedford, VA Tell us how you got started, back in the day. When I got out of the Navy, I went to work for a fellow in the concrete business. We actually poured the first concrete on Liberty Mountain back in 1973. But pretty soon, I just wanted more. I went out on my own in 1976, and I had nothing. My mother and father (my father worked in a factory) didn’t have any money to lend me. When I started, I didn’t even have a trowel machine. I did everything by hand....

We are each impacted by negativity in our day-to-day lives, but the full extent of its impact on our workplace productivity should be addressed. What does negativity look like in the workplace? What is its impact? What can be done to decrease the prevalence of negativity both displayed and experienced by your employees? Business leaders have an opportunity to change the course of their companies’ success through proactive actions that may decrease the impact of workplace negativity while increasing the overall job satisfaction experienced by employees. Negativity in Others Before a solution can be addressed, it is important to...

In 2000 Kristen Barker was independently contracting occupational therapy services in public schools. Through her work, she quickly recognized there was a need for outpatient services for children, and by 2001, she and co-founder Tommy Mathena established the Center for Pediatric Therapies (CPT) in Danville. Then, as the center experienced rapid growth, they expanded, opening additional locations in Lynchburg, Martinsville and South Boston. Many of their patients have conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorder, genetic disorders and developmental delays. “We really do see a variety,” said Barker, CPT executive director. With 55 employees between all of...

You’ve likely heard “The Tale of Three Bricklayers” before, in some variation or another. When asked what they were doing, the first bricklayer said, “I’m laying bricks,” the second one answered, “I’m putting up a wall,” and the third said with pride, “I’m building a cathedral.” The moral of the story is about the power of a positive attitude and focusing on the big picture—especially in your place of work. Do you feel like you are just “laying bricks” every day at your job? Or are you proudly “building a cathedral” with your co-workers? While the burden of this outlook does fall on the employee, I believe the employer also plays a huge role in making sure there are more “cathedral builders” than “bricklayers” in their workforce. In this issue for our 2nd Annual Best Places to Work on page 28, we are profiling 15 businesses who were nominated by their employees as being a place where they “build cathedrals” so to speak. From team building to community development and beyond, read what each business is doing to make their workplace among the “best” in the region. We are also taking an in-depth look at company culture. On page 40, find out some of the secrets of being a place where everyone wants to work. And our Human Resource columnist Colleen McLaughlin focuses on how negativity can impact your...